Rail fastening



July 20, 1926. 1,593,362

M. RIGHETTO El' AL RAIL FASTENING Filed May 19 l 1925,

Patented July 20, i926.

MARCO RIGHETTO AND CARLO ZORZI, 0F MILAN, ITALY.

RAIL FASTENING.

Application l'ed May 19,1925, Serial No. 31,317, and in Italy May 31, 1924.

Reinforced concrete ties for railways and the like are known, to which the track rails are fastened by means of bolts that straddle the tie and have their upper ends threaded to receive clamping nuts for enabling the attachment thereto and to the bearing plate of the rail-engaging clips; such construction, however, being Iopen to the objection that the gauge of the track cannot be changed without changing the ties themselves.

Other ties are .also known in which the fastening bolts are mounted therein in such a way as to exert a pull upon the clips, which latter are hollowed, so that by changing the clips and suitably connecting them to the bolts, the rails may be displaced laterally according to the gauge desired. But with these clips, there is a rigidity of direct support on the tie which prevents a firm and secure attachment from being obtained unless a suiiiciently clasticbearing plate is employed; such plate being also required in order to distribute the rail pressure over a greater surface, since reinforced concrete ties usually are not solid and homogeneous enough for that purpose.- Furthermore, the hollowing required to enable the adjustment of 'the clips incidental to variations in track gauge is apt to weaken the clips so that they no longer possess the necessary solidity, while on the other hand the tie itself has to be made excessively massive on account of the bolts embedded therein. :y

The present invention aims to overcome the above and other'known defects in the reinforced concrete ties which are now more or less generally used, by providing an imn proved form of clip which may be regarded in a sense as of duplex character and which operates as a cushioning spring; the middle part of the clip being supported upon the tie at a substantial distance from the points where the ends of the bolts or bolt arms engage the clip ends. Means are provided on the surface of the tie for positioning the clip, such means being engaged by the aforesaid middle part of the clip which bears against the tie surface with a relatively-low pressure, whereas the free ends of the clip are caused to bear with a relatively-high elastic pressure.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view, showing a rail attached to a tie by means of the improved clips;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of Fig. l;

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections taken through Figs. l and 2 on the lines 3 3 and 4 4, respectively, both sections being on the same scale.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l designates the tie which, as previously stated, is constructed of reinforced concrete, preferably by centrifugal molding or casting; both sides of the tie being formed with protruding curved parts 2,- 2 that serve to protect the' tie against the strokes of the workmens picks during laying of the ties as well as at other times. projections are interrupted, however, at the points where the rails are to cross the tie; the latter being provided at such points with circumferential channels 3 in which the U- shaped fastening bolts 9, 9 are positioned, as hereinafter explained.

The upper face 4 of the channel 3 slopes downward toward the center ofthe tie to a slight extent (see Fig. 2) and has two projections or shoulders 5, 5 formed thereon in spaced relation; the distance between these projections being somewhat greater than the width of the rail base so as to permit gauge variations. Two additional projections 6, 6 are also formed on the tie face outside of or beyond the projections 5, 5', and are designed to engage and thereby kposition the middle parts or backs of the clips 10, l0.

The vertical side faces 7, 7 of the channel are plane or flat, but the bottom face 8 is rounded or curved iny cross-section and slopes toward the center of the tie in the same way as the top face 4.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the two clips 10, 10 which are engaged with the rail are disposed in reverse arrangement at opposite sides thereof, with their backs or middle parts abutting against the outer projections 6, 6 and the free ends of their arms extending beyond the side faces of the tie to overlie and engage the base flanges of the rail. Each clip has approximately the shape of a C, and its arm ends are provided on their under sides with depending shoulders l1, 11 for immediate engagement with the free longitudinal edges of the rail flanges. The inner projections or These curved shoulders 5 or 5 on the tie are also designed to engage one flange or the other, according to the gauge of the track, the right hand flange and projection being shovvn in Fig. 2 as engaged.

The clips are fastened to the tie by means of the U-shaped fastening bolts 9, 9, the arms of which' extend vertically across the side faces 7, 7 of the channel 3 and project at their threaded upper ends through holes in the outer end portions of the clip arms Where they are itted with clamping nuts l2, 12. Due to this arrangement,` it will be apparent that the clip arms may be regarded. as forming tivo-armed levers, of which the bolt ends are the fulcra; the outer arms of such levers being the short parts between the bolt ends and the terminals of the clip arms, While the inner arms of the levers are formed by the remaining portions of the clip arms and are connected by he backs of the clips. Hence7 the resilient pressure which the short outer lever arms exert on the rail flanges may be regarded as the maximum, owing to the diilerenee in length between the outer and inner arms, While the pressure exerted by the long inner arms and connecting back is to all intents the correspending minimum; this being a matter of considerablel importance because the tie, being constructedv of concrete, does not possess the resilience and the resistance to crushing forces that a Wooden tie would possess. Consequently, the C-shaped clips act to some extent as shock absorbers and. thereby prevent possible injury to the tie by taking up shocks which would otherwise be transmitted with full force to the tie.

As will be understood7 the clips are used in pairs, and in order to vary the gauge of a track, it will be suiiieient merely to replace a elip in which the. inner arms of its above described lever portions have a given length by one in which such arms have a different length suitable for the particular gauge desired, the shape and length of the outer lever arms remaining the same. Hence, the clips can be manufactured in a number of different stock sizes and sold and used interchangeably as needed. Bearing plates may, of course, be employed in connection with the rails, asv usual, and may also be utilized to support the backs or' the clips.

TWe claim: Y

l'. The combination, with a tie, of a pair of C-shaped clips mounted in reverse arrangement upon the upper -face of the tie at oppositeI sides of a rail, with the Ylfree ends of their arms projecting beyond the side faces of the tie and engaging the buse flanges of the rail; vertical fastening bolts disposed exteriorly of the tie and secured at their free upperA ends to the said ends of the clipV arms so as to cause the' latter to exert a relatively-high elastic pressure on the rail flanges; and positioning means on the upper tie face disposed at a substantial distance from the longitudinal edges of said flanges and against which the backs of the clips bear, said. backs exerting a relativelylovv pressure on the' tie face.

2. The combination, with a tie, of a pair of C-shaped clips mounted in reverse arrangement upon the upper face of the tic at opposite sides of a rail, the free ends of the arms of said clips projecting beyond the side faces of the tie and overlying the base flanges of the rail and having shoulders to immediately engage the free longi tudinal edges of such flanges; vertical fastening bolts disposed exteriorly of the tie and secured at their free upper ends to the said ends of the clip arms so as to cause the latter to exert a relatively-high elastic pressure on the rail flanges; and positioning means on the upper tie face disposed at a substantial distance from the longitudinal edges of said flanges' and against which the backs of the elip's bear, said backs exerting a relatively-low pressure on the tie face.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

MARCO RIGHETTO. CARLO zoRzr 

